FIELD:
[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication
systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR)
access technology, or 5G beyond, or other communications systems. For example, certain
example embodiments may relate to apparatuses, systems, and/or methods for event-triggered
cross-link interference (CLI) measurement reporting.
BACKGROUND:
[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN),
LTE Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and/or fifth
generation (5G) radio access technology or NR access technology. 5G wireless systems
refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architecture. 5G network
technology is mostly based on new radio (NR) technology, but the 5G (or NG) network
can also build on E-UTRAN radio. It is estimated that NR may provide bitrates on the
order of 10-20 Gbit/s or higher, and may support at least enhanced mobile broadband
(eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) as well as massive machine-type
communication (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband and ultra-robust,
low-latency connectivity and massive networking to support the IoT.
SUMMARY:
[0003] Some example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include receiving
a configuration with event triggered reporting from a network element. According to
certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for triggering
a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The method may also include performing
cross-link interference measurements of at least one radio transmission on network
configured resources based on the configuration. The method may further include determining
whether the criteria has been satisfied based at least on a condition out of a set
of conditions identified in the criteria. In addition, the method may include transmitting
a measurement report of the cross-link interference measurements to the network element
when the condition meets a predefined threshold.
[0004] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include
at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The
at least one memory and computer program code may also be configured to, with the
at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive a configuration with
event triggered reporting from a network element. According to certain example embodiments,
the configuration may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement
reporting. The apparatus may also be caused to perform cross-link interference measurements
of at least one radio transmission on network configured resources based on the configuration.
The apparatus may further be caused to determine whether the criteria has been satisfied
based at least on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria.
In addition, the apparatus may be caused to transmit a measurement report of the cross-link
interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets a predefined
threshold.
[0005] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include
means for receiving a configuration with event triggered reporting from a network
element. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria
for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may
also include means for performing cross-link interference measurements of at least
one radio transmission on network configured resources based on the configuration.
The apparatus may further include means for determining whether the criteria has been
satisfied based at least on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the
criteria. In addition, the apparatus may include means for transmitting a measurement
report of the cross-link interference measurements to the network element when the
condition meets a predefined threshold.
[0006] In accordance with other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable
medium may be encoded with instructions that may, when executed in hardware, perform
a method. The method may include receiving a configuration with event triggered reporting
from a network element. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration
may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting.
The method may also include performing cross-link interference measurements of at
least one radio transmission on network configured resources based on the configuration.
The method may further include determining whether the criteria has been satisfied
based at least on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria.
In addition, the method may include transmitting a measurement report of the cross-link
interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets a predefined
threshold.
[0007] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product that performs
a method. The method may include receiving a configuration with event triggered reporting
from a network element. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration
may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting.
The method may also include performing cross-link interference measurements of at
least one radio transmission on network configured resources based on the configuration.
The method may further include determining whether the criteria has been satisfied
based at least on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria.
In addition, the method may include transmitting a measurement report of the cross-link
interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets a predefined
threshold.
[0008] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include circuitry
configured to receive a configuration with event triggered reporting from a network
element. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria
for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may
also include circuitry configured to perform cross-link interference measurements
of at least one radio transmission on network configured resources based on the configuration.
The apparatus may further include circuitry configured to determine whether the criteria
has been satisfied based at least on a condition out of a set of conditions identified
in the criteria. In addition, the apparatus may include circuitry configured to transmit
a measurement report of the cross-link interference measurements to the network element
when the condition meets a predefined threshold.
[0009] Certain example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include configuring
a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered reporting. According to certain
example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link
interference measurement reporting. The method may also include receiving a measurement
report of cross-link interference measurements from the user equipment. The method
may further include applying a mechanism to remove or mitigate user equipment to user
equipment cross-link interference upon receiving the measurement report.
[0010] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include
at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The
at least one memory and computer program code may be configured to, with the at least
one processor, cause the apparatus at least to configure a user equipment with a configuration
of event triggered reporting. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration
may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting.
The apparatus may also be caused to receive a measurement report of cross-link interference
measurements from the user equipment. The apparatus may further be caused to apply
a mechanism to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference
upon receiving the measurement report.
[0011] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include
means for configuring a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered reporting.
According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for
triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may also
include means for receiving a measurement report of cross-link interference measurements
from the user equipment. The apparatus may further include means for applying a mechanism
to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon
receiving the measurement report.
[0012] In accordance with other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable
medium may be encoded with instructions that may, when executed in hardware, perform
a method. The method may include configuring a user equipment with a configuration
of event triggered reporting. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration
may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting.
The method may also include receiving a measurement report of cross-link interference
measurements from the user equipment. The method may further include applying a mechanism
to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon
receiving the measurement report.
[0013] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product that performs
a method. The method may include configuring a user equipment with a configuration
of event triggered reporting. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration
may specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting.
The method may also include receiving a measurement report of cross-link interference
measurements from the user equipment. The method may further include applying a mechanism
to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon
receiving the measurement report.
[0014] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include circuitry
configured to configure a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered reporting.
According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for
triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may also
include circuitry configured to receive a measurement report of cross-link interference
measurements from the user equipment. The apparatus may further include circuitry
configured to apply a mechanism to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment
cross-link interference upon receiving the measurement report.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
[0015] For proper understanding of example embodiments, reference should be made to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example frequency-time resource partitioning with flexible duplexing
(FDU) as compared to traditional frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division
duplex (TDD).
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an event-triggered reporting with criteria A and
N = 2, according to certain example embodiments.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of event-triggered reporting with criteria B with N
= 2, and a sliding monitoring window (w), according to certain example embodiments.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example flow diagram of a dynamic adjustment of the monitoring
window and N when the UE experiences frequency CLI, according to certain example embodiments.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram of another dynamic adjustment of the monitoring
window and N when the UE does not experience frequent CLI, according to certain example
embodiments.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback and
measurement report transmitted independently with an offset between them of M slots,
according to certain example embodiments.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example signal flow diagram of a method, according to certain
example embodiments.
FIG. 8 illustrates an example signal flow diagram of another method according to certain
example embodiments.
FIG. 9 illustrates a set of apparatuses, according to certain example embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
[0016] It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments,
as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and
designed in a wide variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed
description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer
program products for event-triggered cross-link interference (CLI) measurement reporting.
For instance, certain example embodiments may be directed to signaling for event-triggered
user equipment-to-user equipment (UE-to-UE) CLI measurement reporting.
[0017] The features, structures, or characteristics of example embodiments described throughout
this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.
For example, the usage of the phrases "certain embodiments," "an example embodiment,"
"some embodiments," or other similar language, throughout this specification refers
to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection
with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of
the phrases "in certain embodiments," "an example embodiment," "in some embodiments,"
"in other embodiments," or other similar language, throughout this specification do
not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features,
structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more
example embodiments. Further, the terms "base station", "cell", "node", "gNB", "network"
or other similar language throughout this specification may be used interchangeably.
[0018] As used herein, "at least one of the following: <a list of two or more elements>"
and "at least one of <a list of two or more elements>" and similar wording, where
the list of two or more elements are joined by "and" or "or," mean at least any one
of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all the
elements.
[0019] The technical specifications of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) have
considered various enhancements for dynamic time division duplex (TDD) and sub-band
non-overlapping full duplex (SBFD). In the context of UE-to-UE CLI mitigation, 3GPP
has considered potential enhancements including, for example, Layer 1/Layer 2 (L1/L2)
UE-to-UE CLI reporting, periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic reporting, and L1/L2
UE-to-UE CLI measurement, periodic, semi-persistent, or aperiodic measurement resource.
[0020] As described herein, certain example embodiments may relate to the evolution of 3GPP
NR, which currently supports two duplexing modes: frequency division duplex (FDD)
for paired bands; and TDD for unpaired bands. In TDD, the time domain resources may
be split between downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). Current 5G deployments may use static
TDD with a DL-heavy frame configuration, and this may be coordinated between different
operators. Even though the NR specifications may allow for higher flexibility than
this, operators may be recommended to follow a common frame structure to avoid cross
inter-operator interference. Selecting a DL-heavy frame configuration implies a limited
time duration for the UL in TDD, which may result in reduced uplink coverage, increased
latency, and reduced uplink capacity.
[0021] Due to increasing demand for supporting applications with high requirements in UL
throughput, 3GPP has considered new duplexing methods that may address the aforementioned
challenges. For instance, FIG. 1 illustrates an example frequency-time resource partitioning
with full duplexing (FDU) as compared to traditional FDD and TDD. Please note that
FDU may be refereed as SBFD. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 1, it has been
considered to allow simultaneous DL and UL transmissions on different physical resource
blocks (PRBs) within an unpaired wideband NR carrier. In certain example embodiments
described herein, the example of FIG. 1 may be referred to as FDU or full duplex.
Additionally, there has been considerations in 3GPP to design a framework that allows
practical/real deployments to adopt dynamic TDD. In both approaches, the CLI has been
identified as a clear bottleneck that can completely remove the theoretical benefits
of dynamic TDD or FDU.
[0022] Various CLI scenarios may exist in 3GPP. For instance, 3GPP may consider gNB self-interference
(FDU specific), UE-to-UE CLI (common to FDU and dynamic TDD), and gNB-to-gNB CLI (common
to FDU and dynamic TDD). Within the CLI components common to FDU and dynamic TDD,
the experienced UE-to-UE and gNB-to-gNB CLI may be generated by either i) non-overlapping
resource blocks (RBs), in which case the CLI may be denoted as inter-subband interference
(FDU-specific), or ii) overlapping RBs, in which case the CLI may be known as intra-subband
interference (common to FDU and dynamic TDD). As discussed herein, certain example
embodiments may handle the intra-subband interference. For instance, certain example
embodiments may relate to UE-to-UE CLI, where DL reception of one UE may be interfered
by the UL transmission of a neighboring UE.
[0023] Currently, the standardized Rel-16 CLI management framework allows UEs to perform
two types of measurements including, for example, sounding reference signal-reference
signal received power (SRS-RSRP) measurement in which the UE measures SRS-RSRP over
SRS resources of aggressor UE(s). Another type of measurement may include a CLI-received
signal strength indicator (CLI-RSSI) measurement in which the UE measures the total
received power observed over configured measurement resources.
[0024] In both cases of CLI measurements described above, L3 filtering may be applied to
the measurement samples. Moreover, periodic and event-triggered reporting may be supported.
With regard to event-triggered reporting, aI1 event may be configured to trigger the
CLI measurement reporting. According to 3GPP, the I1 event may be defined as interference
that becomes higher than an absolute threshold. For instance, for an event I1, the
measurement reporting event may be based on CLI measurement results, which may either
be derived based on SRS-RSRP or CLI-RSSI. The measured CLI samples (e.g., SRS-RSRP)
may be mapped to a report value.
[0025] Applying L3 filtering may inherently add a delay to the measurement procedure, and
it may reflect the long-term characteristics on the CLI. Moreover, the reporting may
occur at the L3 level, which means that fast adaptation based on the CLI conditions
is not feasible. Given these restrictions, 3GPP has considered L1/L2 measurements
and reporting.
[0026] Based on the challenges described above, 3GPP may consider L1/L2 UE-to-UE CLI reporting
enhancements. 3GPP may also consider a case where event-triggered reporting may depend
on a pre-configured absolute threshold ("event I1"), which may lead to undesirable
behaviors. For instance, if the threshold for triggering the I1 event is configured
to a very high value, a UE may be affected by CLI, but the serving gNB may be unaware
of the UE's situation since the reporting is hardly triggered. This may be likely
to cause performance degradation in DL since many packets would not be successfully
decoded due to high interference conditions. On the other hand, setting a very low
threshold may trigger unnecessary measurement reports which increases the UE computational
efforts as well as the overhead, which may cause reduced spectral efficiency in UL.
[0027] Given the above, certain example embodiments may leverage from L1/L2 UE-to-UE CLI
measurement and reporting, and provide new triggers for event-triggered CLI measurements
and the signaling required to enable UE-to-UE CLI measurement and reporting. For instance,
in certain example embodiments, the UE may be configured to perform periodic CLI measurements
based on SRS-RSRP or CLI-RSSI resources. The UE may also be configured with event-triggered
reporting where the trigger event may be based on the decoding rate of a downlink
signal (denoted as event 12). The pre-configured downlink signal can be the physical
downlink control channel (PDCCH), the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or
any other DL signal. In other example embodiments, the UE may perform periodic measurements
on the configured resources, and track a DL signal failure rate. The DL signal failure
rate comprises a PDSCH failure rate in case PDSCH is the DL signal to be monitored.
The DL signal failure rate comprises a PDCCH failure rate in case PDCCH is the DL
signal to be monitored. In some example embodiments, the measurement report provided
by the UE may be triggered once a certain criteria is satisfied or is matched. For
instance, in certain example embodiments, the criteria may be a set of conditions,
wherein the decoding rate of a channel greater than or less than a threshold may be
one condition in the set. Another condition may be, for example, a threshold on the
measured CLI, or a time duration from the previous report is greater than a threshold.
The measurement report may be transmitted by the UE to the gNB. Upon reception of
the report, the gNB may apply mechanisms to remove or mitigate the UE-to-UE CLI. For
instance, in some example embodiments, the gNB may apply coordination with a neighbor
cell that is causing the CLI, or the gNB may adjust its scheduling decisions based
on the reported CLI.
[0028] As described above, certain example embodiments may provide new criteria for event-triggered
CLI reporting. For instance, in event-triggered UE-to-UE CLI reporting, the UE may
be configured to perform CLI measurements based on SRS-RSRP or CLI-RSSI resources.
In some example embodiments, the CLI measurements performed by the UE may be configured
via radio resource control (RRC) signaling (
MeasObjectCLI)
. In other example embodiments, the UE may be configured (via RRC signaling) with event
triggered reporting. The parameter
CLI-EventTriggerConfig within
ReportConfigNR may specify the criteria for triggering an NR measurement reporting event based on
CLI measurements performed by the UE.
[0029] In certain example embodiments, certain events may be defined depending on the criteria.
For instance, one event may be defined based on a comparison between a measured CLI
level and an absolute threshold (
eventl1-r16 in
CLI-EventTriggerConfig)
. In other example embodiments, another event may be defined based on a PDSCH decoding
rate (
eventl2-r18 in
CLI EventTriggerConfig)
.
[0030] According to certain example embodiments, there may be different criteria for how
to measure the PDSCH decoding rate (e.g., DL channel and/or signal decoding rate).
For instance, one criteria A, the UE may be configured to report the measured CLI
after it fails
N times to decode the PDSCH transmissions associated with a given hybrid automatic
repeat request (HARQ) process identifier (ID) (m). For instance, FIG. 2 illustrates
an example of an event-triggered reporting with criteria A and
N = 2, according to certain example embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the HARQ
processing ID 2 triggers the measurement report. According to some example embodiments,
once the reporting of the measured CLI is triggered, the counter of failures of N
may reset, and a timer accounting for the time interval between the two consecutive
reports may also be reset.
[0031] In some example embodiments, the UE may account for failures in all the slots with
PDSCH transmissions or only for the PDSCH failures during slots where CLI is potentially
present (i.e., CLI slots). In such a case, the UE may assume that all the slots/symbols
defined as "flexible" in the
TDD-UL-DL-ConfigCommon/
TDD-UL-DL-ConfigDedicated are considered as CLI slots. Alternatively, in other example embodiments, the gNB
may semi-statically indicate which slots are considered as CLI after using the already
standardized exchange of TDD frame configurations among the base stations over an
Xn interface (XnAP signaling:
Intended TDD DL-UL Configuration NR)
.
[0032] In some example embodiments the threshold N (i.e., number of decoding failures) may
be configured to be lower than a maximum number of retransmissions for a particular
HARQ process ID such that the UE provides the gNB with useful information for future
scheduling decisions before the transport block (TB) needs to be dropped. In other
example embodiments, the threshold N may be hard-coded in the specifications or semi-statically
configured (
i2-N-number-of-attempts-r18)
. The gNB may configure the threshold
N via RRC, using, for example, the existing RRC IE
CLI-EventTriggerConfig, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) or downlink control information (DCI).
With regard to how the threshold is configured, determining which alternative to use
may depend on the needs for fast trigger adaptation.
[0033] According to certain example embodiments, the threshold
N may be associated with a modulation coding scheme (MCS) index. For example, different
values of
N may be associated with different rages of MCS levels. In some example embodiments,
N may be decreased if the selected MCS for the PDSCH transmission is robust (range
of low MCS index) compared to an aggressive MCS selection (range of high MCS index)
where N may be increased. This may be useful in cases where the selected MCS is already
quite low but the CLI is still hindering the transmission. The gNB may then rapidly
apply different schemes such as coordination to avoid CLI.
[0034] In other example embodiments, another criteria such as, for example, criteria B,
may involve the UE being configured to report the measured CLI after it fails N times
to decode any PDSCH transmissions associated with any of the available HARQ process
IDs (M). For instance, FIG. 3 illustrates an example of event-triggered reporting
with criteria B with
N = 2, and a sliding monitoring window (w), according to certain example embodiments.
Similar to criteria A described above, the UE may be configured to account for all
the PDSCH transmissions regardless of whether they are impacted by CLI or not, or
only configured to monitor the PDSCH failures during CLI slots. The UE may also track
the accumulated PDSCH decoding failures over a certain time interval. As illustrated
in FIG. 3, a monitoring window (w) may be configured for the UE while it is tracking
the accumulated PDSCH decoding failures (
i2-time-window-r18). In certain example embodiments, the monitoring window (w) may be configured and
known at the UE. This duration may be configured in terms of milliseconds or number
of slots. In other example embodiments, two consecutive monitoring windows may be
overlapping (i.e., sliding window) or non-overlapping (i.e., a new window starts at
the end of the previous window).
[0035] In other example embodiments, the monitoring window duration may be used to reset
the PDSCH failures counter.
[0036] According to certain example embodiments, the monitoring window duration of the monitoring
window and the threshold
N may be dynamically adjusted according to current CLI conditions. The gNB may benefit
from the dynamic adjustment as it allows the gNB to receive more frequency CLI reports
of UEs that are currently experiencing high CLI. To make this possible, the UE may
shorten its monitoring window (i.e., time window (w)) and decrease
N if M consecutive windows have previously triggered a CLI report. On the other hand,
if P consecutive windows have not previously triggered a CLI report, the UE may increase
the length of the monitoring window, and set
N to a higher value (i.e., increase
N). In some example embodiments, the UE may be configured with a
N step size (
i2-N step-size-r18), which may indicate the parameter to calculate a new threshold and, a monitoring
window back-off time (
i2-time-windowBackOff-r18), which may indicate the parameter to calculate the new monitoring window duration.
Additionally, the number of consecutive windows with and without reporting (M and
P) should be configured (
i2-consecutive Windows_Reporting-r18 and
i2-consectuvieWindows_WithoutReporting-r18)
. In other example embodiments, for a UE to be able to differentiate which criteria
to apply, an indication may be provided to determine which criteria is configured
(
i2-criteria-r18), or the UE may assume criteria B if
i2- window-duration-r18 is provided as part of the configuration. Upon reception of the report, the gNB may
apply mechanisms to remove or mitigate the UE-to-UE CLI.
[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates an example flow diagram of a dynamic adjustment of the monitoring
window and
N when the UE experiences frequency CLI, according to certain example embodiments.
For instance, at 400, the initial current window size may be
i2-time-window-r18, and the current
N value may be
i2-N-number-of-attempts-r18. At 405, the UE may monitor the PDSCH failure rate for the next window duration. At
410, the UE may determine whether dynamic monitoring window size and threshold
N is supported. If dynamic monitoring window size and threshold
N is not supported, at 415, the UE may use the configured
i2- window-duration-r18 and
i2-N-number-of-attempts-r18. However, if dynamic window size and threshold
N is supported, at 420, the UE may determine whether a previous
i2-consecutiveWindows_Reporting-r18 triggered CLI reporting. If no, the UE may return to monitoring the PDSCH failure
rate for the next window duration at 405. However, if the previous
i2-consecutiveWindows_Reporting-r18 triggered CLI reporting, at 425, the UE may update the monitoring window by decreasing
the monitoring window value:
current window size =
current window size -
i2-time-windowBackOff-r18; current N =
current N - i2-N-step-size-r18.
[0038] FIG. 5 illustrates an example flow diagram of another dynamic adjustment of the monitoring
window and N when the UE does not experience frequent CLI, according to certain example
embodiments. For instance, at 500, the initial current window size may be
i2- window-duration-r18 and the current
N value may be
i2-N-number-of-attempts-r18. At 505, the UE may monitor the PDSCH failure rate for the next window duration. At
510, the UE may determine whether dynamic monitoring window size and threshold
N is supported. If dynamic monitoring window size and threshold
N is not supported, at 515, the UE may use the configured
i2- window-duration-r18 and
i2-N-number-of-attempts-r18. However, if dynamic window size and threshold
N is supported, at 520, the UE may determine whether a previous
i2-consecutiveWindows_Reporting-r18 has not triggered CLI reporting. If no, the UE may return to monitoring the PDSCH
failure rate for the next window duration at 505. However, if the previous
i2-consecutiveWindows_Reporting-r18 did not trigger CLI reporting, at 525, the UE may update the monitoring window by
increasing the monitoring window value:
current window size =
current window size +
i2-time-windowBackOff-r18; current N =
current N +
i2-N-step-size-r18.
[0039] As previously described, once a criterion is fulfilled at the UE for the measurement
report, the UE may transmit the report to the gNB. In certain example embodiments,
the UE may report the measured CLI on the PUCCH that carries the HARQ feedback (NACK)
from the
N-th PDSCH (i.e., the one which triggered the reporting). In some example embodiments,
when HARQ-ACK codebook is used, the binary sequence for CLI reporting may be added
after the NACK bit for the Nth PDSCH in HARQ-ACK codebook. Alternatively, the binary
sequence for CLI reporting may be added at the end of the HARQ-ACK codebook that includes
the NACK bit for the Nth PDSCH.
[0040] According to other example embodiments, the UE may report the measured CLI on an
independent PUCCH from the PUCCH carrying the NACK feedback. Specifically, the UE
may report CLI on the PUCCH resource that is
k slots after the slot that triggered the measurement report. For example, similar
to the
k1 parameter to indicate where the gNB is expecting to receive the HARQ feedback (PDSCH-to-HARQ-timing-indicator),
the UE may be configured with, for example, a
k3 parameter (HARQ-to-report-timing-indicator), to indicate when the UE should perform
the reporting. In this regard, FIG. 6 illustrates an example HARQ feedback and measurement
report transmitted independently with an offset between them of M slots, according
to certain example embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the NACK and CLI report
are transmitted with a predefined slot offset such as, for example, 3 slots after
the
Nth NACK are transmitted.
[0041] In other example embodiments, the UE may report CLI on the PUCCH resource in the
latest available UL slot after the slot where the UE reports the NACK bit for the
Nth PDSCH (or after the slot where the UE receives the Nth PDSCH). In certain example
embodiments, if the CLI report is transmitted on an independent PUCCH from the HARQ
feedback, the UE may consider CLI as uplink control information (UCI), and determine
PUCCH resources for reporting CLI in the same way as doing that for UCI reporting.
For example, this may include determining a PUCCH resource set based on CLI report
size and determining PUCCH resource within the group based on PUCCH resource indicator
(PRI) from the DCI scheduling the latest PDSCH. Alternatively, in other example embodiments,
the CLI size (and hence PUCCH resource set) and/or PRI may be fixed (e.g., semi-statically
configured).
[0042] According to certain example embodiments, the UE may alternatively report the measured
CLI using PUSCH. In such a case, the binary sequence for CLI reporting may be piggybacked
on the first PUSCH after the N-th PDSCH. In some example embodiments, a preconfigured
offset value (similar to beta-offset for multiplexing UCI on PUSCH) may be used for
calculating the resource for multiplexing CLI on PUSCH. Alternatively, in other example
embodiments, the UE may report CLI on a PUSCH when receiving an indicator in the scheduling
DCI that triggers the reporting. The new offset value for the multiplexing may be
indicated on the scheduling DCI. In further example embodiments, the UE may alternatively
report the CLI on a PUSCH when receiving the scheduling DCI that has the new offset
value greater than zero.
[0043] FIG. 7 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to certain example
embodiments. In an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 7 may be performed by a
network entity, or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system, such as
LTE or 5G-NR. For instance, in an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 7 may be
performed by a UE similar to one of apparatuses 10 or 20 illustrated in FIG. 9.
[0044] According to certain example embodiments, the method of FIG. 7 may include, at 700,
receiving a configuration with event triggered reporting from a network element. According
to certain example embodiments, the configuration specifies criteria for triggering
a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The method may also include, at 705,
performing cross-link interference measurements of at least one radio transmission
on network configured resources based on the configuration. The method may further
include, at 710, determining whether the criteria has been satisfied based at least
on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria. In addition,
the method may include, at 715, transmitting a measurement report of the cross-link
interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets a predefined
threshold.
[0045] According to certain example embodiments, the condition may include at least one
of a decoding rate threshold of downlink transmissions, a cross-link interference
value threshold, or a time duration threshold. According to some example embodiments,
a decoding rate of the decoding rate threshold of downlink transmissions may account
for failures in all slots with downlink transmissions, or the decoding rate of the
decoding rate threshold of downlink transmissions accounts for downlink transmission
failures during slots where cross-link interference is potentially present. In some
example embodiments, the method may also include receiving from the network element,
an UL grant including scheduling information for the CLI report. In other example
embodiments, the measurement report may be transmitted on at least one of a physical
uplink control channel resource, or a physical uplink shared channel resource (i.e.,
according to the UL grant). In further example embodiments, the downlink transmissions
may be at least one of PDSCH transmission, PDCCH transmission, channel state information
reference signal, demodulation reference signal, tracking reference signal, or phase
tracking reference signal
[0046] According to other example embodiments, the criteria for triggering the cross-link
interference measurement reporting may include a failure of a number N times to decode
a downlink transmission associated with a given hybrid automatic repeat request process
identifier.
[0047] In certain example embodiments, the criteria for triggering the cross-link interference
measurement reporting may include a failure of a number
N times to decode any downlink transmissions associated with any available hybrid automatic
repeat request process identifiers. In some example embodiments, the method may also
include adjusting, by increasing or decreasing, the predetermined number
N times to decode any downlink transmissions based on a selected modulation and coding
scheme. In other example embodiments, the method may further include tracking a number
of downlink transmission decoding failures over a predetermined time interval.
[0048] Additionally, in some example embodiments, the method may include dynamically adjusting
the predetermined time interval and a number
N times to decode a downlink transmission based on a current cross-link interference
condition. According to certain example embodiments, the measurement report may be
transmitted on at least one of an uplink transmission resource that carries hybrid
automatic repeat request feedback from a downlink transmission resource that triggered
the transmission of the measurement report, an independent uplink transmission resource
from the uplink transmission resource carrying a negative acknowledgment feedback,
an uplink transmission resource in a latest available uplink slot after a slot where
the negative acknowledgment bit for an
Nth downlink transmission resource was reported, or an uplink transmission resource.
[0049] FIG. 8 illustrates an example flow diagram of another method, according to certain
example embodiments. In an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may be performed
by a network entity, or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system, such
as LTE or 5G-NR. For instance, in an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may
be performed by a gNB similar to one of apparatuses 10 or 20 illustrated in FIG. 9.
[0050] According to certain example embodiments, the method of FIG. 8 may include, at 800,
configuring a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered reporting. According
to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for triggering
a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The method may also include, at 805,
receiving a measurement report of cross-link interference measurements from the user
equipment. The method may further include, at 810, applying a mechanism to remove
or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon receiving
the measurement report.
[0051] According to certain example embodiments, the condition may include at least one
of a decoding rate threshold of downlink transmissions, a cross-link interference
value threshold, or a time duration threshold.
[0052] FIG. 9 illustrates a set of apparatuses 10 and 20 according to certain example embodiments.
In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be an element in a communications
network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, mobile equipment (ME), mobile
station, mobile device, stationary device, IoT device, or other device. It should
be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 10
may include components or features not shown in FIG. 9.
[0053] In some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may include one or more processors, one
or more computer-readable storage medium (for example, memory, storage, or the like),
one or more radio access components (for example, a modem, a transceiver, or the like),
and/or a user interface. In some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be configured
to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR,
5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and/or any other radio access technologies.
It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus
10 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 9.
[0054] As illustrated in the example of FIG. 9, apparatus 10 may include or be coupled to
a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations.
Processor 12 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processor
12 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers,
microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and processors based on
a multi-core processor architecture, as examples. While a single processor 12 is shown
in FIG. 9, multiple processors may be utilized according to other example embodiments.
For example, it should be understood that, in certain example embodiments, apparatus
10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g.,
in this case processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing.
According to certain example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly
coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).
[0055] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 10
including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain/phase parameters, encoding
and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information,
and overall control of the apparatus 10, including processes and examples illustrated
in FIGs. 1-8.
[0056] Apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external),
which may be coupled to processor 12, for storing information and instructions that
may be executed by processor 12. Memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any
type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any
suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based
memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system,
fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 14 can be comprised of
any combination of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), static storage
such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory
machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 14 may include
program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 12,
enable the apparatus 10 to perform tasks as described herein.
[0057] In certain example embodiments, apparatus 10 may further include or be coupled to
(internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external
computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive,
or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium
may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 12 and/or apparatus
10 to perform any of the methods and examples illustrated in FIGs. 1-8.
[0058] In some example embodiments, apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to one or
more antennas 15 for receiving a downlink signal and for transmitting via an UL from
apparatus 10. Apparatus 10 may further include a transceiver 18 configured to transmit
and receive information. The transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g.,
a modem) coupled to the antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a plurality
of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN,
NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, and the like. The radio interface may include
other components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters
and the like), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, an Inverse Fast Fourier
Transform (IFFT) module, and the like, to process symbols, such as OFDMA symbols,
carried by a downlink or an UL.
[0059] For instance, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier
waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15 and demodulate information received
via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 10. In
other example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of transmitting and receiving
signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments,
apparatus 10 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device). In certain example
embodiments, apparatus 10 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical
user interface or touchscreen.
[0060] In certain example embodiments, memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality
when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating
system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 10. The memory may
also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide
additional functionality for apparatus 10. The components of apparatus 10 may be implemented
in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to
certain example embodiments, apparatus 10 may optionally be configured to communicate
with apparatus 20 via a wireless or wired communications link 70 according to any
radio access technology, such as NR.
[0061] According to certain example embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included
in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in
some example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be included in or may form a part of
transceiving circuitry.
[0062] For instance, in certain example embodiments, apparatus 10 may be controlled by memory
14 and processor 12 to receive a configuration with event triggered reporting from
a network element. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may
specify criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. Apparatus
10 may also be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to perform cross-link interference
measurements of at least one radio transmission on network configured resources based
on the configuration. Apparatus 10 may further be controlled by memory 14 and processor
12 to determine whether the criteria has been satisfied based at least on a condition
out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria. In addition, apparatus 10 may
be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to transmit a measurement report of the
cross-link interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets
a predefined threshold.
[0063] As illustrated in the example of FIG. 9, apparatus 20 may be a network, core network
element, or element in a communications network or associated with such a network,
such as a gNB, BS, cell, or NW. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the
art would understand that apparatus 20 may include components or features not shown
in FIG. 9.
[0064] As illustrated in the example of FIG. 9, apparatus 20 may include a processor 22
for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processor 22
may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. For example, processor 22
may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors,
digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture,
as examples. While a single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 9, multiple processors may
be utilized according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood
that, in certain example embodiments, apparatus 20 may include two or more processors
that may form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case processor 22 may represent
a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. In certain example embodiments,
the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form
a computer cluster).
[0065] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may perform functions associated
with the operation of apparatus 20, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna
gain/phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication
message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatus 20, including
processes and examples illustrated in FIGs. 1-8.
[0066] Apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external),
which may be coupled to processor 22, for storing information and instructions that
may be executed by processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any
type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any
suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based
memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system,
fixed memory, and/or removable memory. For example, memory 24 can be comprised of
any combination of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), static storage
such as a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory
machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 24 may include
program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22,
enable the apparatus 20 to perform tasks as described herein.
[0067] In certain example embodiments, apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to
(internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external
computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive,
or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium
may store a computer program or software for execution by processor 22 and/or apparatus
20 to perform the methods and examples illustrated in FIGs. 1-8.
[0068] In certain example embodiments, apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one
or more antennas 25 for transmitting and receiving signals and/or data to and from
apparatus 20. Apparatus 20 may further include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured
to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may include, for example,
a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 25. The radio
interfaces may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one
or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, radio frequency identifier
(RFID), ultrawideband (UWB), MulteFire, and the like. The radio interface may include
components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters
and the like), mappers, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module, and the like, to generate
symbols for a transmission via one or more downlinks and to receive symbols (for example,
via an UL).
[0069] As such, transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information on to a carrier
waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25 and demodulate information received
via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of apparatus 20. In
other example embodiments, transceiver 18 may be capable of transmitting and receiving
signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments,
apparatus 20 may include an input and/or output device (I/O device).
[0070] In certain example embodiment, memory 24 may store software modules that provide
functionality when executed by processor 22. The modules may include, for example,
an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatus 20.
The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or
program, to provide additional functionality for apparatus 20. The components of apparatus
20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and
software.
[0071] According to some example embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included
in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in
some example embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form a part of
transceiving circuitry.
[0072] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to hardware-only circuitry implementations
(e.g., analog and/or digital circuitry), combinations of hardware circuits and software,
combinations of analog and/or digital hardware circuits with software/firmware, any
portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processors)
that work together to cause an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and 20) to perform various
functions, and/or hardware circuit(s) and/or processor(s), or portions thereof, that
use software for operation but where the software may not be present when it is not
needed for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may
also cover an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple
processors), or portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software
and/or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated
circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network
device.
[0073] For instance, in certain example embodiments, apparatus 20 may be controlled by memory
24 and processor 22 to configure a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered
reporting. According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify
criteria for triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. Apparatus
20 may also be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to receive a measurement report
of cross-link interference measurements from the user equipment. Apparatus 20 may
further be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to apply a mechanism to remove
or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon receiving
the measurement report.
[0074] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and/or apparatus 20)
may include means for performing a method, a process, or any of the variants discussed
herein. Examples of the means may include one or more processors, memory, controllers,
transmitters, receivers, and/or computer program code for causing the performance
of the operations.
[0075] Certain example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that includes means for
performing any of the methods described herein including, for example, means for receiving
a configuration with event triggered reporting from a network element. According to
certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for triggering
a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may also include means
for performing cross-link interference measurements of at least one radio transmission
on network configured resources based on the configuration. The apparatus may further
include means for determining whether the criteria has been satisfied based at least
on a condition out of a set of conditions identified in the criteria. In addition,
the apparatus may include means for transmitting a measurement report of the cross-link
interference measurements to the network element when the condition meets a predefined
threshold.
[0076] Certain example embodiments may also be directed to an apparatus that includes means
for configuring a user equipment with a configuration of event triggered reporting.
According to certain example embodiments, the configuration may specify criteria for
triggering a cross-link interference measurement reporting. The apparatus may also
include means for receiving a measurement report of cross-link interference measurements
from the user equipment. The apparatus may further include means for applying a mechanism
to remove or mitigate user equipment to user equipment cross-link interference upon
receiving the measurement report.
[0077] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements,
enhancements, and /or advantages. For instance, in some example embodiments, it may
be possible to handle intra-subband interference. In other example embodiments, it
may be possible to leverage from new L1/L2 UE-to-UE CLI measurement and reporting,
and provide new triggers for event-triggered CLI measurements and the signaling required
to enable it. According to other example embodiments, it may be possible to adapt
to highly variant CLI conditions enabling fast report triggering. Additionally, using
an absolute threshold for the I1 event may not be optimal as it might result in over
reporting or not reporting at all depending on the configured threshold. Thus, introducing
the new events as described herein may provide more flexibility to the gNB on which
criteria to rely on. In further example embodiments, it may be possible for the network
to configure the periodic CLI reporting with a long period to avoid overhead. The
CLI may only be reported when there are practical performance issues due to the event-triggered
approach of certain example embodiments.
[0078] A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components
which, when the program is run, are configured to carry out some example embodiments.
The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or
portions of it. Modifications and configurations required for implementing functionality
of certain example embodiments may be performed as routine(s), which may be implemented
as added or updated software routine(s). Software routine(s) may be downloaded into
the apparatus.
[0079] As an example, software or a computer program code or portions of it may be in a
source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it may be stored
in some sort of carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which may
be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include
a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectrical and/or electrical
carrier signal, telecommunications signal, and software distribution package, for
example.
[0080] Depending on the processing power needed, the computer program may be executed in
a single electronic digital computer or it may be distributed amongst a number of
computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be
a non-transitory medium.
[0081] In other example embodiments, the functionality may be performed by hardware or circuitry
included in an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 or apparatus 20), for example through
the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate
array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware
and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality may be implemented
as a signal, a non-tangible means that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal
downloaded from the Internet or other network.
[0082] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus, such as a node, device, or
a corresponding component, may be configured as circuitry, a computer or a microprocessor,
such as single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, including at least a memory
for providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operation and an operation processor
for executing the arithmetic operation.
[0083] One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the disclosure
as discussed above may be practiced with procedures in a different order, and/or with
hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed.
Therefore, although the disclosure has been described based upon these example embodiments,
it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations,
and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit
and scope of example embodiments. Although the above embodiments refer to 5G NR and
LTE technology, the above embodiments may also apply to any other present or future
3GPP technology, such as LTE-advanced, and/or fourth generation (4G) technology.
Partial Glossary:
[0084]
- 3GPP
- 3rd Generation Partnership Project
- 5G
- 5th Generation
- 5GCN
- 5G Core Network
- 5GS
- 5G System
- BS
- Base Station
- CLI
- Cross-link Interference
- eNB
- Enhanced Node B
- DCI
- Downlink Control Information
- E-UTRAN
- Evolved UTRAN
- FDU
- Flexible Duplexing
- gNB
- 5G or Next Generation NodeB
- LTE
- Long Term Evolution
- NR
- New Radio
- NW
- Network
- OSI
- Other System Information
- PDCCH
- Physical Downlink Control Channel
- PRI
- PUCCH Resource Indicator
- PUCCH
- Physical Uplink Control Channel
- PUSCH
- Physical Uplink Shared Channel
- RACH
- Random Access Channel Procedure
- RSRP
- Reference Signal Received Power
- SI
- System Information
- SIB
- System Information Block
- SRS
- Sounding Reference Signal
- SSB
- Synchronization Signal Block
- UCI
- Uplink Control Information
- UE
- User Equipment
- UL
- Uplink